President of the United States, Donald Trump, stated on Tuesday that there were no ongoing discussions with Iran and affirmed that the Strait of Hormuz was open, contrary to Iran’s claim that the vital water passage was closed to maritime traffic.
The diminishing likelihood of a resolution to the nearly six-month conflict caused oil prices to rise once more on Tuesday, leading to stock market declines and increased borrowing costs for major economies, including the U.S., due to concerns about long-term inflationary effects stemming from the crisis.
Following the expiration of a temporary ceasefire agreement on Monday, a senior Iranian official informed Reuters that Iran was transitioning to a “fully offensive” military stance due to the diplomatic deadlock, although there were no reports of new attacks from either side on Tuesday.
“There are no ongoing talks or scheduled discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Trump announced in a post on Truth Social on Tuesday.
“The Naval Blockade remains fully enforced. The Strait of Hormuz is open and operational. All water mines have been cleared or detonated.”
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Trump threatens to bomb Oman if it ‘gets in the way’ with Iran
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Trump suggests in speech that ‘pretty soon I’ll be declaring’ Hormuz strait a U.S. territory
On Monday, Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and special envoy, expressed optimism, stating that the talks with Iran were still ongoing and were potentially more vigorous than ever before.
The prolonged six-month conflict, stemming from joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, has evolved into a stalemate, with Iran persisting in threatening shipping in the strait while Washington maintains the possibility of resuming attacks if negotiations fail to produce a lasting resolution.
One of the primary U.S. objectives is to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, a task experts believe will be challenging without the removal of enriched uranium suspected to be hidden at previously targeted sites by the U.S. military.
UAE Reports 2 Missiles Launched from Iran
Despite Trump’s assertions of improving conditions in the Gulf region, reports continued to surface of attempts to disrupt shipping activities.
The United Arab Emirates’ Defence Ministry reported detecting two ballistic missiles launched from Iran, marking the first such incident since a May 4 strike on the Fujairah port.
Subsequently, the UAE stated that based on its assessments, the missiles were aimed at “maritime traffic,” with both projectiles landing in the sea. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, dismissed the UAE’s “baseless” accusations.
The UAE Foreign Ministry declared the suspension of all trade activities, exchanges, and financial transactions with Iran until further notice, citing regional escalation undermining regional and international peace and security.
Direct cargo shipping between the UAE and Iran had resumed only in late June through Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port after being halted in early March shortly after the conflict began.
Vessel Struck While Transiting the Strait
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations received a report on Tuesday indicating that a vessel was hit by an unidentified projectile while passing through the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in engine room damage and casualties among the crew.
The Omani Coast Guard was providing assistance to the remaining crew members, as stated in the report. Tehran had not issued an immediate response.